*Western Command awaits head for past 45 days
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 12: In a major reshuffle in the Army, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Army Headquarters have approved the appointments of Lt Gen AK Sharma and Lt Gen JS Sandhu as new General Officers Commanding (GOCs) 16 and 15 Corps, headquartered at Srinagar and Jammu respectively.
However, in view of ongoing unrest in the Kashmir valley in which Army has been playing significant role in assisting administration, wherever and whenever required, the MoD has ordered that Lt Gen Sandhu will take over the command of 15 Corps in Srinagar on October 25 i.e. after one and a half months from now.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MoD in consultation with the Army Headquarters today formally approved the postings of Lt Gen AK Sharma as GOC 16 Corps, headquartered at Nagrota, which looks after sensitive twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch apart from Pir Panjal ranges, Chenab valley etc.
Lt Gen Sharma will replace Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar, who has been given prestigious post of Master General Ordnance (MGO) in the Army Headquarters at New Delhi after successful tenure as GOC of 16 Corps Headquarters.
Both Lt Gen AK Sharma and Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar were likely to take charge of their new assignments on October 1.
Lt Gen AK Sharma is presently posted as Director General (Recruitment) in Army Headquarters. He was commissioned in 2 Sikh Regiment and had commanded a Brigade in Eastern India and Congo as part of United Nations Mission. He has also commanded counter-insurgency Romeo Force, which is presently deployed in Rajouri under 16 Corps, whose charge he will be taking.
Sources said Lt Gen J S Sandhu has been approved for the posting as GOC 15 Corps, headquartered at Srinagar in place of Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua. However, Dua’s posting orders haven’t been issued so far. Sources said Lt Gen Dua will be given significant posting as he will hold charge of the GOC 15 Corps till October 25 in view of disturbances in the Kashmir valley.
While posting successor of Lt Gen Dua, the MoD and Army Headquarters have asked him to stay put in the Valley till October 25 as his services were required there in view of ongoing disturbances and the role Army was playing to assist civil administration, para-military forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police to restore peace and normalcy in the Valley.
The official order of the MoD and Army Headquarters stated that further posting orders of Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua, GOC 15 Corps, whose Command covers entire Kashmir valley, “will follow”. However, there was enough time as for further posting orders of Lt Gen Dua as he will continue on the post till October 25.
Lt Gen Sandhu is an officer of the 5th Gorkha Rifles, the regiment of the chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. He had served as the Military Attache in Nepal and also coordinated the relief and rescue operations in Nepal during 2015 earthquake.
He will take over the command of the Corps in Srinagar at a time when the Valley is facing widespread unrest and the Army is once again expected to play a dominant role in quelling the disturbances if they continued till the date of his takeover. He has been given an extended joining time of 30 days and will report to Srinagar to take over the command of the Corps on October 25.
Meanwhile, the MoD hasn’t ordered the posting of Western Command chief so far even after Lt Gen KJ Singh had retired on July 31, nearly one and a half month back. Lt Gen JS Cheema, who had officiated as Western Command chief for few days has already got new posting.
The Western Command covers sensitive border districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua in Jammu region apart from Pathankot and other areas of Punjab, Chandigarh etc.
The name of Lt Gen Surinder Singh, who commands 33 Corps in West Bengal, was doing the rounds for Western Command chief but no formal orders have been issued by the Ministry of Defence so far.
Meanwhile, sources said, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, presently posted as GOC 4 Corps at Tezpur, Assam, could be the new Northern Army Commander vice Lt Gen DS Hooda, who will demit office on November 30. Lt Gen Anbu is from Sikh Li Regiment.
Sources said Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, who heads the Eastern Command, was likely to be new Army chief in place of Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, who will retire on December 31. Lt Gen Bakshi has also served as GOC of 9 Corps, headquartered at Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh, which looks after Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu. He had recently visited Jammu along with the Army chief.
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